A woman was found broken and battered by staff in a hotel stairwell after being sexually assaulted and beaten up by a 74-year-old pensioner from Keith.
Derrick Henderson appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted grabbing the woman’s private parts at the Station Hotel in Aberdeen before she fled their room in terror.
But Henderson caught up with her in the hallway where he punched her to the face before throttling her.
The woman managed to break away once more and made it to the stairway, where Henderson again caught up with her and shoved her down a flight of steps.
Hotel staff found her lying injured and shouting for help on the stairs in her underwear.
Woman fled room at Station Hotel
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told the court that on June 28 last year Henderson made advances towards the woman for sex, which she rebuffed.
However, Henderson ignored her pleas to stop and grabbed at her breast and private parts.
“A struggle ensued and they both ended up on the floor,” Ms Spark said.
“The complainer, fearing for her safety, broke free and ran from the room.
“The accused gave chase and caught up with her in the hallway, grabbing her by the hair. He punched her to the face and repeatedly struck her on the body.
“He then grabbed her by the throat and squeezed tightly, restricting her breathing.”
The woman managed to break free of Henderson’s clutches and ran toward the fire escape where she made her way onto the metal stairwell.
But she was once again chased down by Henderson, who caught up with her and pushed her down the stairs before walking away and leaving her lying there.
Victim found in hotel stairwell by staff
The court heard the woman was so traumatised she refused to leave the stairwell for fear Henderson would return, so she waited there shouting for help.
Two staff members discovered her lying in the stairwell, crying and distressed in her top and underwear.
As a result of the attack, the woman had bruising to her cheekbone and breast, a swollen forehead and pain to the left side of her body.
Henderson, of Seafield Park, Keith, pleaded guilty to one charge of sexually assaulting the woman, physically assaulting her and pushing her down a flight of stairs to her injury.
Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank called for reports to be carried out into Henderson’s background.
Sheriff Ian Duguid placed the pensioner on the sex offenders register and deferred sentence until next month in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order to be carried out.
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